The American Botanical Council (ABC) recently inducted integrative medicine expert John Weeks into the organization’s Board of Trustees. The announcement was made on March 8, 2007, at the American Botanical Celebration banquet held in Anaheim, CA, in conjunction with the Nutracon scientific conference and Natural Products Expo West.

Weeks is the editor-publisher of The Integrator Blog News & Reports (www.theintegratorblog.com), one of the leading sources of news and information on the Internet about developments in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and integrative medicine. He is also the executive director of the Academic Consortium for Complementary and Alternative Health Care, an organization whose membership consists principally of councils of colleges, accrediting bodies, and testing agencies for the five licensed CAM disciplines (i.e., chiropractic, acupuncture and Oriental medicine, massage therapy, naturopathic medicine, and direct-entry [homebirth] midwifery).

“We are excited that John has joined our Board of Trustees,” said ABC Founder and Executive Director Mark Blumenthal. “John brings with him a deep knowledge of individuals and organizations in the integrative medicine field. His extensive relationships will help create new opportunities for ABC in its increased commitment to forward its nonprofit mission to researchers, healthcare professionals, and medical organizations with an interest in well-researched herbal preparations and their appropriate therapeutic roles in self-care and conventional and alternative healthcare.”

Peggy Brevoort, president of the ABC Board of Trustees, has known Weeks for many years. “Speaking on behalf of the Board, we are delighted that John will be joining us. As a longtime supporter and participant in the larger CAM community, John will add another level of expertise to our already diverse and talented Board of Trustees.”

“I am deeply honored for the invitation to join the ABC Board,” said Weeks. “For years ABC has been the premier organization in the herbal medicine field. I have great respect for the work Mark, Peggy, and the rest of the Board and staff have been doing and am excited by the potential to contribute in this next phase of ABC’s service.”

“The impact of John Weeks’ establishing communication and improving understanding among the conventional medicine, natural medicine and natural products community would be hard to overstate,” said Joe Pizzorno, ND, co-founder of Bastyr University, and now president of Salugenecists, a health oriented information provider. “His remarkable instincts on how to talk with diverse groups and elicit their commitment to find common ground has resulted in the establishment of coalitions that are making real advances in collaboration and healthcare reform.”

Weeks has over 20 years experience in the field of CAM. He served from 2004 through 2006 as the organizer and director of the National Education Dialogue to Advance Integrated Health Care: Creating Common Ground, a not-for-profit initiative involving leading educators from 12 healthcare disciplines.

He was formerly the first vice president for external affairs at the John Bastyr College of Naturopathic Medicine (now Bastyr University). Weeks has been called an “expert in alternative medicine” by Medical Economics¹ and an “alternative care (integration) expert” by Modern Healthcare.² The National Institutes of Health contracted with him for a paper on coverage issues in CAM,³ and the Institute of Medicine cited his work in its 2005 report.⁴ He has consulted with diverse parties on their integration strategies.

Recognizing the need in the evolving field for forums to explore the challenges, opportunities and collaborative possibilities, Weeks has been instrumental in convening various conferences and gatherings—including three Integrative Medicine Industry Leadership Summits (2000-2002). The goal of these meetings is to stimulate communication and cooperation among various healthcare professions and other significant stakeholders in the CAM area, including hospitals and healthcare systems, HMOs, government agencies, academic medical researchers, natural products industry, health policy experts, integrative clinic operators, venture capitalists, and others.

—Nancy Moon

References

1. Grandinetti D. ‘Integrated medicine’ could boost your income. Medical Economics. September 8, 1997:73-99.
2. Rauber C. Turning to alternatives: pressured by consumer demand, more health plans are embracing nontraditional treatment options. Modern Healthcare. September 7, 1998:50-57.
3. Weeks J. Operational issues in incorporating complementary and alternative therapies and providers in benefit plans and managed care organizations. Prepared for the workshop Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Issues Impacting Coverage Decisions; October 9, 1996; Tucson, AZ.
4. Institute of Medicine. Complementary and Alternative Medicine in the United States. Washington DC: National Academies Press; 2005.